The Ibero-American Film Festival, hosted at the Landis Cinema, is running five selections of Iberian cinema and kicked off the series on Wednesday with a screening of “La Cocina” — featuring free empanadas.
“It’s definitely a criticism of the American dream, and how the immigrants have to battle with the expectations, the crumbling reality of America,” said Hiya Khan ‘28, one of 20 students who braved the rain to attend the screening, of the film. “It’s like a nightmare.”
The screening, organized by the Lafayette Department of Languages & Literary Studies as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, was made possible by a grant from Pragda, a Spanish film club, which provides educators access to over 100 titles from Spanish and Latin American cinema.
Spanish professor Daniel Quiros, the festival organizer, emphasized the event’s role in providing a liberal arts education by exposing students to new perspectives.
“I think film and just cultural production in general, like literature, essays and art, are great ways for students to learn about the Spanish-speaking world,” Quiros said. “These movies are just a small way to get you to look at the world in a different, a different perspective.”
“La Cocina” takes Quiros’ mission to heart. Shot mostly in black-and-white, the film follows undocumented Dominican line cook Pedro, played by Raúl Briones, as he juggles love, lust, conflict and crime in his work at a 1980s tourist restaurant in Times Square.
“I’m not sure what it was exactly,” Charlie Canapari ‘29 said, admitting his confusion about the film’s plot and theme.
Canapari also acknowledged that the film “definitely had a message” and he enjoyed watching it with other people.
“We have empanadas, we talk, we chat, we watch the movies,” Quiros said of the festival. “It’s always a good excuse for conversations. My conversation partner will be speaking about the movies, what they thought and things like that. So we find ways to kind of integrate it and to try to create a little bit of a Spanish-speaking community within our Lafayette little bubble.”
There are four more films on the festival’s docket, screening Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. through Oct. 15. Pre-screening empanadas will be provided, and a list of films is available on the Ibero-American Film Festival website.